Samson Lee has no doubt what his primary role will be when he makes his first Millennium Stadium start for Wales today.

The 21-year-old Scarlets tighthead prop packs down in a Wales front-row that does not include two familiar faces – Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones.

The British and Irish Lions props might boast 202 Wales caps between them, but Jenkins provides loosehead bench cover for Bath’s Paul James against Australia this weekend and Jones did not even make a 34-man autumn Test squad.

But Lee now has a golden opportunity to showcase his rich potential after four appearances as a Wales replacement and one in the starting line-up when Gatland’s team lost 31-30 against South Africa five months ago.

“It’s a big vote of confidence in me to be selected ahead of Adam in the squad because he has been playing really well this year, so hopefully I will take my chance to become first choice,” he said.

“He has been the player that I’ve looked up to, and he gave me plenty of tips in previous Wales squads.

“Adam was the best in the world at one stage, and that was because of his unbelievable scrummaging. That is the tighthead’s first job, and then they have to work hard around the field.

“I am hoping to improve around the park, but that’s just a bonus. I need the scrum to keep going well.

“Australia aren’t known for their scrums, but I am sure they will come at us there and it will be physical.

“I am ready for that, and we have a really good scrummaging front-row because both (hooker) Richard Hibbard and Paul James are world-class forwards.

“It was tough to go up against one of the best in the ‘Beast’ (Tendai Mtawarira) in South Africa, and I don’t think that it will be any different against Australia. I expect a tough test against (Wallabies loosehead) James Slipper.

“It’s going to be really tough at the set-piece, and we have to grit our teeth and get stuck in. The forwards need to put in a big performance.”